Discussions Pick Up For Hamels, Phillies

The Phillies and the agent for Cole Hamels have recently picked up the pace of discussions regarding a possible extension for the left-hander, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports. The discussions indicate that the Phillies intend to make a major push to sign Hamels to a long-term contract before the July 31st trade deadline.

The Phillies are now willing to offer Hamels a six-year deal — a first for any starter in Phillies history — Stark writes. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirms that the Phililes are willing to offer six years. The Phillies are sending signals that they're planning to make an initial six-year offer for $130MM or so, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported yesterday. John Boggs, who represents Hamels, will weigh Philadelphia’s offers against the possibility of a lucrative multiyear contract in free agency a few months from now.

Teams that have spoken to the Phillies say the club has put trade talks involving Hamels on hold, according to Stark. Those teams say they’ve been more interested in discussing deals involving other players. However, the Phillies have prepared for the possibility of trading Hamels by scouting the prospects of rival teams.